TO EILEAN AND BACK

You will note the title of this month's blog. It refers, of course, to Hell and Back. So today's blog is all about the 7 Deadly Sins. These derive from early attempts to explain fallen humanity's tendency to sin. And they don't come much more fallen than this particular group of humanity.

Appropriately this walk started next to the old Kiltarlity Parish Church next to the River Beauly. As we gathered in the little car park, Maureen handed out some sweeties to everyone. Well, everyone except Sharon, who can be seen stalking off, nursing her WRATH at being overlooked.

Eventually she can stand it no longer and tries to steal the sweets from Maureen's rucksack to satisfy her GREED.

Meanwhile Hugh exhibits all the signs of SLOTH, being quite unprepared to tie up his own gaiters. When you first looked at this photo, I bet you were thinking that we had got to lust pretty quickly, but that is yet to come!

And here is LUST - I need say no more.

Back to the walk proper we soon found ourselves walking through a cathedral of woodland - it can only be hoped that some of peace and calm of the place would rub off on the Dinosaurs.

But, in fact, some fallen trees only provided another opportunity for some more LUST.

Particularly for Dave and Sandra, it would seem.

Shortly after we came across a small hide in the woods. This merely gave rise to another unseemly rush by everyone except me to have their photo taken.

A fine example of PRIDE if ever I saw one.

Once we emerged from the woods, we came across this bonny little lochan. I didn't manage to get any photos of them all looking at their own reflections, but believe me it did happen.

From the Lochan we walked down a pleasant track until we came to................

.................this - Eiean Aigas House. A splendid house with many rooms, none of which had been prepared for us. But we did stop for lunch.....

.....where Hugh exhibited his GLUTTONY with some aplomb and probably not a little pride.

Here is the lunchtime photo, taken by Dave.

After lunch we carried on down towards the House, where there was considerable debate about the detailed design of cattle grids. In particular, how they catered for hedgehogs - I know it isn't a Deadly Sin, but that kind of fascination for the weird and wonderful probably should be.

Soon we were walking the quiet waters by.

Then we reached the House, which was quite spectacular.

And here we are on a bridge, which we decided was too far, so we didn't cross.

And here are the rest of the dinosaurs nakedly showing their ENVY.

And so ends our salutary tale. There can be no doubt that even the best of dinosaurs will fall into evil ways so easily. We must always be on our guard against such behaviour. I am afraid that it did not end there either. Hugh was seen to impatiently steal a couple of Bounty Balls so that he could eat them quickly with his tea in the Beauly Gallery tearoom - another sure sign of GLUTTONY. 

One can only hope and pray that some form of salvation will be at hand on the next walk.